Moments in Medicine at Michigan

Eric Jackson, from West Bloomfield, is a member of the Medical School’s Class of 2002. He entered a seven-year neurosurgery residency program at the University of Pennsylvania this June.

Eric Jackson Photo: J. Adrian Wylie

“Going into our residency is anxiety-provoking, but at the same time it’s exciting. We’ve definitely learned the basics of what we need to do — the thought process and the way to approach different situations. I think the biggest question is whether we feel comfortable assuming the role of the decision-maker, and that question is what I think provokes the most anxiety.

“The adjustment to a new level of responsibility is going to be one of the more difficult aspects of residency. I expect that this difficulty will become apparent when I show up in June and take my first call — when everyone else leaves the hospital, and I’m the one there to make the decisions. It’s easier when you’re a student and your decisions are not final.

“I think the most important aspect of medical school training I’ve experienced here is not necessarily in learning any specific material, but rather in learning a way of thinking and approaching what I will encounter. Throughout my career, medicine will continue to change — facts I learned in medical school will prove to be incorrect as research reveals new insights. Part of medical education is coming to the realization that you don’t — and can’t possibly — know everything. Still, if you can at least generate the questions, then you can find the right place to look for the best solutions.”

—RS